Acting Globally

Memoirs of Brazil’s Assertive Foreign Policy

Celso Amorim

Between 2003 and 2010, under President Lula, Celso Amorim was at the forefront of an important period in the history of Brazil’s international relations—one in which the country practiced a newly assertive foreign policy, extending its diplomatic reach to the global stage. This book consists of three narratives: the pursuit of a peaceful, negotiated solution to the Iranian nuclear issue; Brazil’s diplomatic efforts in relation to the Middle East, which included recognizing the State of Palestine; and the country’s leading role in the Doha Round of multilateral trade negotiations. The narratives take the reader on a journey behind the scenes of global politics, combining detailed accounts of international negotiations with candid and insightful descriptions of the countless world leaders Amorim came into close contact with—including, to name but a few, Hillary Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Tony Blair, Manmohan Singh, Mahmoud Abbas, and Benjamin Netanyahu.« lessmore »

Celso Amorim is Brazil’s longest-serving foreign minister (1993-1994; 2003-2010). He was also Minister of Defense (2011-2014). Foreign Policy magazine referred to him in 2009 as the “world’s best foreign minister,” and in 2010 placed him sixth in its list of “Top 100 Global Thinkers.”

Foreword1. The Tehran Declaration: a Missed Opportunity?2. Brazil and the Middle East3. Doha: the Crucial YearsIndex

This is an interesting account of Brazil’s newly assertive foreign policy during the years the author was the country’s longest serving foreign minister (1993–94, 2003–10). Three detailed case studies illustrate how Brazil extended its diplomatic reach to the global stage during these years. First, Brazil pursued a peaceful, negotiated solution to the Iranian nuclear issue; second, Brazil engaged in sustained diplomatic efforts in relation to the Middle East, including recognition for Palestine; and, third, the country played a leading role in the Doha Round of multilateral trade negotiations. The behind-the-scenes discussion of each case study illustrates how an ambitious actor such as Brazil was able to have influence in each global issue.... The book closes with extensive notes and an index. The volume will be of particular interest as a reference document for those interested in Latin American foreign policies as well as in rising powers in general. Summing Up: Recommended. Graduate students through faculty.— CHOICE

During the 2003-10 presidency of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the energetic foreign minister Amorim traveled widely to expand Brazil's global influence. In his highly intelligent and richly detailed memoir, the wily, sharp-tongued diplomat seeks to justify his controversial and ill-fated attempt to insert Brazil into negotiations over Iran's nuclear program and to explain his more sure-footed and well-informed but equally unsuccessful effort to secure a deal during the World Trade Organization's failed Doha Round of trade negotiations. — Foreign Affairs

As Brazil's foreign minister in the government of President Lula da Silva, Celso Amorim turned Brazil into a major actor on the world stage. In this thoughtful and instructive memoir, he perceptively reviews some memorable achievements, among them initiatives that could have led to an early resolution of the issue of the Iranian nuclear program. The record he compiled is a model of what the world desperately needs: not threats and violence, but judicious and careful diplomacy.— Noam Chomsky

Celso Amorim’s latest book provides a vivid and insightful account of the roles and responsibilities of the foreign minister as Brazil rose to be a world power. Brazil must take a leading role in tackling the complex challenges facing our global community, and Celso Amorim has shown how that can be done.— Kofi Annan, Former United Nations Secretary-General, Nobel Peace Prize laureate

Acting Globally

Memoirs of Brazil’s Assertive Foreign Policy

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Summary

Summary

Between 2003 and 2010, under President Lula, Celso Amorim was at the forefront of an important period in the history of Brazil’s international relations—one in which the country practiced a newly assertive foreign policy, extending its diplomatic reach to the global stage. This book consists of three narratives: the pursuit of a peaceful, negotiated solution to the Iranian nuclear issue; Brazil’s diplomatic efforts in relation to the Middle East, which included recognizing the State of Palestine; and the country’s leading role in the Doha Round of multilateral trade negotiations. The narratives take the reader on a journey behind the scenes of global politics, combining detailed accounts of international negotiations with candid and insightful descriptions of the countless world leaders Amorim came into close contact with—including, to name but a few, Hillary Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Tony Blair, Manmohan Singh, Mahmoud Abbas, and Benjamin Netanyahu.

Celso Amorim is Brazil’s longest-serving foreign minister (1993-1994; 2003-2010). He was also Minister of Defense (2011-2014). Foreign Policy magazine referred to him in 2009 as the “world’s best foreign minister,” and in 2010 placed him sixth in its list of “Top 100 Global Thinkers.”

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Foreword1. The Tehran Declaration: a Missed Opportunity?2. Brazil and the Middle East3. Doha: the Crucial YearsIndex

Reviews

Reviews

This is an interesting account of Brazil’s newly assertive foreign policy during the years the author was the country’s longest serving foreign minister (1993–94, 2003–10). Three detailed case studies illustrate how Brazil extended its diplomatic reach to the global stage during these years. First, Brazil pursued a peaceful, negotiated solution to the Iranian nuclear issue; second, Brazil engaged in sustained diplomatic efforts in relation to the Middle East, including recognition for Palestine; and, third, the country played a leading role in the Doha Round of multilateral trade negotiations. The behind-the-scenes discussion of each case study illustrates how an ambitious actor such as Brazil was able to have influence in each global issue.... The book closes with extensive notes and an index. The volume will be of particular interest as a reference document for those interested in Latin American foreign policies as well as in rising powers in general. Summing Up: Recommended. Graduate students through faculty.— CHOICE

During the 2003-10 presidency of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the energetic foreign minister Amorim traveled widely to expand Brazil's global influence. In his highly intelligent and richly detailed memoir, the wily, sharp-tongued diplomat seeks to justify his controversial and ill-fated attempt to insert Brazil into negotiations over Iran's nuclear program and to explain his more sure-footed and well-informed but equally unsuccessful effort to secure a deal during the World Trade Organization's failed Doha Round of trade negotiations. — Foreign Affairs

As Brazil's foreign minister in the government of President Lula da Silva, Celso Amorim turned Brazil into a major actor on the world stage. In this thoughtful and instructive memoir, he perceptively reviews some memorable achievements, among them initiatives that could have led to an early resolution of the issue of the Iranian nuclear program. The record he compiled is a model of what the world desperately needs: not threats and violence, but judicious and careful diplomacy.— Noam Chomsky

Celso Amorim’s latest book provides a vivid and insightful account of the roles and responsibilities of the foreign minister as Brazil rose to be a world power. Brazil must take a leading role in tackling the complex challenges facing our global community, and Celso Amorim has shown how that can be done.— Kofi Annan, Former United Nations Secretary-General, Nobel Peace Prize laureate